Safety radius-rod



B. B. KELLER.

SAFETY RADIUS ROD.

APPLICATION FILED. JULY 30.1920.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

awum vtoz firuce/ fiM L anon 1min UNITED srArss rarest QLP'FEQE- BRUCE B. KELLER, or scnANroiv, PENNSYLVANIA. I

SAFETY RADIUS-ROD.

To all whomz'tmay-concern: v

Be it known-that I, BRUCE B. KELLER, c1t1- zen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county'of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Rad us- Rods; and I do hereby declarethe follow ng to be a fullfclear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable ethers skilled in the art to which it appertalns to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to vehicles; and more particularly. to road vehicles having their front axles provided with independently swiveled steering wheels at their 'extremities. It relates more particularly to a radius rod'for bracing the front axle from the under frame so as to prevent any skews ing motion of the axle parallel with the under frame, but to .permit freedom of vertical rocking movement. 7

It is the purpose ofmy invention to pro-. vide' aneflicient radius rod particularly adapted to that type of vehicle where a leaf spring, transverse of the under frame, sup ports the under frame on the axle and it s therefore necessary to brace said axle horizontallybut allow freedom of vertical movement.

The invention consists, generally, in a radius rod extending fore and aft or parallel with the under frame and having a universally jointed connection between said under frame and the axle.

It consists also in details of construction more fully set forth-in the following description, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined inthe appended claims. T h

In'the drawings: 7 i

Figure l is a top plan view of so much of the under frame of a motor vehicle and the axle as isnecessary to illustrate my-invention; V

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the improved radius rod ,and its connection to the under frame and axle, the axle being shown in section; 7

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 2, viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a detail showing a fragment of the axle partly in section on the line 44 of Fig. 2 and the device to which the front end of the radius rod is connected.

In the drawings; numeral 1 designates the side beams of an under frame, 2 the front Specification of Letters Patent.

3 3 of Fig.

cross beam thereof, a front axle,.4 the ends:

PatentedApr. 5, 1921. I Application filed July so; 192c Serial No; 400,100. I

of a leaf spring, which, in the type of vehicle,

illustrated, has its middle point connected to. member (not shown). interposed .be-

tween the cross .beam 2 and the spring. 7

Eachend of the; spring 4 may be supported on a link .5 which depends from the upper end, of an attachment curvedlink suspending portion 6, a shank that. comprises a 7 passed through an orifice in the axle and rigidly or other securing member 8,

secured thereto bymeans of a shoulder 7 and a nut and a boss 9 disposed, between tl'ie-curved' supporting portion 6 and the shoulder 7;

saidv boss 9 being perforated transversely of end16 of a radius rod 10. e

The rear end of the radius rod. 10 is pivoted by a bolt 11; or the like,-to the lower outerv end of a bracket 12.- The sai'd'bracket the axle and adapted to receive the front.

l2 comprises an angular seat 13 formed at its upper end that fitssnugly against a beam I l to which thesaid bolts 14. The bracket 12 isfmade of con siderable width {at that 'portion which is bolted to the beam 1 in order to stiffen and strengthen it. From thewide seat 13 the bracket tapers, extending downward hand outward, at an oblique angle, as indicated in Fig. 3. It is strengthened on its under side by webs 15 and has a narrow lower end-pro? vided with a boss 11 throughwhich the said bracket is secured by bolt 11 passes. The radius rod 10 is hinged on the bolt llso' that its forward end'may move freely in'a vertical plane.

The radius rod 1O ispreferably composed I of two sections 10 and 10". tion 10? is reduced at its forward'end, as shown at 16, said end1'6- being passed through the hole .in the perforated boss 9 and securedtherein by'a nut 17 threaded-to its extremity. Having its rearward end bolted to the under side of the section 10 is a brace bar 18,tl1e front end of which is;

bolted to the under side of the axle" by means of the shank 7 and the nut 8 thereon.'

The rear end of the section 10 of the radius rod 10 is abutted against the front end of the section 10 thereof and thesaid two sections 10 and 10 are swiveled together. In the construction. shown, alined holes are drilled into the ends of said sections 10 and 10 each terminating in a transversefopening 21 disposed a little back from the adjoining end of said sections passed through said .The front secrespectively. A bolt 2 2 holes isrprovided with i headed fastenings, such as nuts, or ahead and a nut, whereby the two parts and 10 may be held together so as 'to form a swiveled joint, the parts swiveling about the bolt I 22. The preferable cross sectional form of the radius rod is that of an I-beam so as toafford strength without excessive weight.

In practice a pair of brackets 12 will be bolted, one to each lateral beam 1 of the under body; and the radius rod will be hinged to the lower outer end of each bracket and rigidly connected to the front axlebythe means shownu Y My improvement is particularly designed V for use on a Fordcar or other car of'the type that has a leaf spring supportingthe front. portion of the under frame, said Spring 7 being arranged longitudinalof the axle and transverse of theunder frame. By reason of the want of support afforded by the spring'so disposed to fore and aft forces acting on the axle, it is essential to provide-some horizontal bracing for the axle without interfering with the vertical rocking motion thereof. My improved radius rod provides for a dual fore and aft thrust and pull to hold the axle against horizontal V rocking movements ;and therefore most effectively resists strains in that direction.

By means of the universal joint-in the radius rod, consisting of the swivel, and the hinge at the rear end of the rod, freedom of movement of the axle up and down and freedom of vertical: rocking, as may take place when one wheel, only, runs .over an elevation, is provided for.

Having described my invention in such manner as to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

7 '1. In a vehicle, the combination of an under frame with parallel side beams, an axle, a spring supporting the under frame on the axle, a bracket on each side-beam spaced from the axle, radius rods each having one end secured to one of said brackets respectively, and its other end secured to the axle,

and a universal jointed connection foreach radius rod. j j

2. In a vehicle, the combination with an under frame with parallel side beams, an axle and a spring supporting the under frame on said axle; of a bracket secured to a side beam, and extending downward and out-.

ward, a radius rod having'its rear end connected to one of said brackets, and its forward end connected to the axle, and a uni versal jointed connection forthe radius rod.

3. In a vehicle, the combination with an under frame comprising parallel sidebeams,

an axle, and a spring supporting said under frame on said axle, of a bracket secured to a side beam of the under frame,a radius rod having its rear end hinged to said bracket 1 on a transverse pivot, its front end secured t0 the axle, and a swiveljoint in the radius I TOCL g i t I 4;. In a vehicle, 'the combinationbfan under frame comprising parallel side beams, an axle andia'spring supportingsaid under frame on said axle; the combination of'a bracket secured to a side beam,- a radius'rod having its rear end connected to sald bracket and 1ts front end connected to the upperside r of the axle, a brace securedto theradius rod 7 and totheunderside of the axle,-and a um versal jointed connection forithe radius rod between the brace and the bracket. 1 r a 5. In :a vehicle, the combination of van under frame comprising parallel side beams, an axle, and a spring supportingisaid under frame on said axle; a spring support having a shank passing through the axle, a bracket 1; secured to a side beam',ja radiusirod having;

itsrear end connected to said bracket and its front end secured to' saidsspring support above the axle, a brace having its rear :end

secured'to the radius rod and its front end 71 secured to the under side offthe axle by the shank of said spring support, and a 1111iversal jointed, connection for the radius rod between said brace and said bracket.

6. In a vehicle, a radiu's rod-adapted to be :5:

interposed betweenth'efront axle and a part.

rigid with the under frame, said rod com- BRUCE -B. EL R; I 

